Les Huddle: More quotes/audio from interviews with LSC’s next superintendent

There’s only so much you can cram into a 40-inch article so here are a few more quotes that landed on the cutting room floor, along with some audio clips from my interviews with Huddle.

Huddle was named Jan. 23 as LSC’s incoming superintendent and on Jan. 25, myself and J&C photographer John Terhune took to the road and spent the entire day in Huddle’s Jacksonville, Ill., school district, conducting several interviews with Huddle and those who have worked closely with him.

Here’s the consensus: Huddle’s a thinker, but not necessarily a talker. He’s methodical and communication with those both inside and outside the district seems to be a major focus. As one LSC administrator later commented to me, he sounds kind of like another Ed Eiler.

Huddle wasn’t able to attend the Jan. 23 special meeting in which his appointment was announced by the school board so most stake holders within LSC won’t get a chance to meet him until further along in the transition process. With that said, here are a few comments and audio clips that might help you get to know Huddle and his thought process a bit more. You can find all the audio clips here or click on the individual links below.

On following longtime LSC Superintendent Ed Eiler.

Click for audio (2:57min): “…I’ve got to build my own reputation, build my own trust level with staff and families, do all those things you need to do to get people to believe in you and have trust and confidence in you.”

On perceptions of LSC. Huddle will spend the first 100 days or so as LSC supt. on a listening tour, meeting with various groups to get to know the perceptions and realities of LSC. Here’s what he said about those perceptions.

Click for audio (1:35 min): “One perception that seemed to be consistent … is that there is a perception that if you’re a student or if you’re a parent of a student there are good things going on in the district. The other part of that perception is if you don’t have kids in that school there … has not been enough communication to those non-parents in the community that they believe all those good things are happening.”

On Indiana’s controversial voucher system.

Click for audio (1:25): “There are things that need to be changed because they’re broken, but there are other things that are working and you don’t need to change them, you just need to work to improve them. And I’m not sure if the voucher system isn’t one of those things that was changed without thinking through the repercussions of that decision.”

On staff professional development and the decision making process.Click for audio (1:42).

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About Mikel Livingston

I'm the Journal & Courier's K-12 education reporter. I cover 26 school districts in 10 counties. My job is to spread the word about good things going on in education and to question the not so good. Reach me at (765) 420-5205, mlivingston@jconline.com or @mikellivingston.